Voids in bones may exist because a diseased portion of the bone has been surgically removed or a bone has been damaged in an accident. These voids can lead to discomfort and structural instability, either of which may prompt a patient to seek ways to alleviate the pain and to obtain more structural support.
In response to these conditions associated with the presence of bone voids, researchers and clinicians have developed many different materials to fill the voids or to cause fusion between adjacent bones or between segments of a bone. These materials include, but are not limited to, temporary or permanent bone substitute materials that may be accompanied by one or more agents that help to promote healing.
However, the challenge of filling a bone void rests not only in formulating a suitable composition, but also in delivering the composition to the site of interest. One type of tool that is useful for the delivery of certain known compositions is the plunger type syringe.
Unfortunately, known syringes are imperfect because too frequently, material within the barrels of those syringes clog when bone graft material is the substance that one seeks to dispense. This causes either too much fluid or only fluid to be expelled from the syringe. Consequently, dehydrated bone graft material may become stuck inside the syringe barrel. Therefore, there is a need for new syringe designs that can more efficiently administer bone graft materials that are prone to clogging.